13/03/2023 News
MissionH24 showcases Europe’s hydrogen strategy
Brussels, Belgium, March 13th 2023 - At the invitation of Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, MissionH24 has participated in an event that lays the foundations for the European Commission’s hydrogen strategy – the official presentation of Hydrogen Valleys.
Mission24 was introduced to elected representatives and European institutions, hydrogen stakeholders, the media and the public gathered in front of the Autoworld museum, just a stone’s throw from the Berlaymont building, the Commission’s historic headquarters in Brussels. The joint venture between the Automobile Club de l'Ouest and GreenGT, which aims to create a special hydrogen class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, showed off its H24 car in a brand new livery. The H24, the first hydrogen-fuelled machine to appear at this level of Endurance racing, was displayed alongside the TotalEnergies mobile hydrogen filling station, a Symbio fuel cell and one of the tanks designed by Plastic Omnium – key components of the hydrogen prototype’s commitment to the sport.
The H24 is not only a trailblazing racing car. It is also a vehicle to demonstrate the transition towards zero-emission mobility. It is equally at home on the racetrack and in more unusual settings, such as European institutions and trade fairs for industry experts on sustainable transport solutions. In 2019, one year after MissionH24 was officially presented at the Spa- Francorchamp circuit, the ACO, Hydrogen Europe and the FCH JU (Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking – a structure formed by the European Commission, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research), signed a letter of intent to promote hydrogen. Through the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the ACO has always provided a testing ground for technical innovation that ultimately benefits all road users. As revealed on 1 March in Brussels, MissionH24 research is a prime mover in driving the revolution undertaken by the automotive, rail and energy sectors towards a sustainable, emission-free future.
The H24 prototype sported its new, multi-faceted livery for the occasion. The blue colour and the bubbles symbolise the car’s emissions – water. The stopwatch evokes the passage of time marking the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary celebrations in 2023, and the time gained for the planet through a programme to accelerate research into zero-carbon technologies.
The new paint scheme also features the project’s partners: TotalEnergies, Michelin, Symbio, Plastic Omnium, Richard Mille, Dietsmann and Essilor.
TotalEnergies
« TotalEnergies is proud to have supported the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and the MissionH24 project from the outset. In 2019, we designed and produced the first mobile hydrogen filling station specifically for the MissionH24 prototype in races. For TotalEnergies, endurance is a platform for research into the ecological transition in mobility. On 3 February, TotalEnergies and Air Liquide announced a 50/50 joint venture to develop a network of more than 100 hydrogen stations in France, Germany and the Benelux countries over the coming years. These stations, operating under the TotalEnergies brand, will help facilitate access to hydrogen for HGVs, to promote its use in freight transport and to continue strengthening the hydrogen sector. »
Michelin
« For Michelin, motorsport has always driven innovation. We invest regularly in future mobility and MissionH24 is a perfect illustration of that bold, pioneering outlook. The proportion of sustainable materials contained in Michelin tyres for the H24 prototype has risen constantly over the last three years to over 60% today. This trend is fully in line with Michelin’s commitment to make all its tyres exclusively from biosourced and recycled materials by 2050. »
Symbio
« By supplying fuel cell technology, Symbio is a leading MissionH24 partner. For Symbio, motorsport is a real-life test bed for operation under extreme conditions that allows us to trial our high-power fuel cell systems. It also illustrates the ‘ecosystem’ approach required to roll out hydrogen mobility which is closer to becoming a reality with each passing day. Symbio is delighted to participate in the unveiling of the H24’s 2023 livery in the setting of a Clean Hydrogen Partnership event that highlights the importance of a joint public-private approach to accelerate the advent of zero-emission transport. »
Plastic Omnium
« Cutting automotive emissions is now essential. Plastic Omnium intends to play a part by becoming the global leader in the hydrogen mobility market by 2030. When the Automobile Club de l’Ouest asked us to join the MissionH24 racing programme with the goal of running hydrogen-fuelled cars capable of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the not-to-distant future, we naturally accepted. MissionH24 is an ambitious, stimulating programme, a laboratory that will challenge our teams to develop innovative solutions. The high- pressure hydrogen storage solutions that we are implementing are a technological upgrade on the systems we are producing for tomorrow’s vehicles. »
Richard Mille
« Richard Mille has been a partner of the MissionH24 project since its creation in 2020. Innovation has always been at the heart of the brand as well as resolutely turned towards the future, so it seemed natural to contribute to this technological adventure that is electric hydrogen. for car racing. The automotive industry is facing its biggest challenge in a century, we must adapt to reduce our dependence on natural resources and carbon emissions. »
Dietsmann
« As an energy industry leader, Dietsmann has always been a pioneer in the field of maintenance by investing in new technologies and by adapting to changes in the energy sector, with special focus on sustainability. Dietsmann is honoured to partner MissionH24 as this is a special opportunity for the development of mobility. This partnership combines our passion for motorsport with our commitment to develop hydrogen as a clean energy source. With MissionH24, we are delighted to be part of the race for innovation and sustainability, and to raise public awareness of clean energy. »